Heretic, Betrayers of Kamigawa (Kamigawa Cycle) by Scott McGough

Author:Scott McGough [McGough, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780786957101
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Publishing
Published: 2010-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Pearl-Ear waited under the waning moon, near the tree where she had seen and heard Toshi. Externally, she was a study in calm, but she could barely keep her hands from shaking as she sat.

She did not, in fact, expect the ochimusha to show up. Toshi was a cunning man and a careful one, so he had to be aware of the bad blood that existed between himself and the kitsune. On their last outing he had insulted them, kidnapped the princess, sent Choryu to an unknown fate, and escaped from their custody, all with a sneer and a sarcastic comment. Her brother was eager to lay hands on Toshi, and the Tail brothers were likely to run him through on sight.

Pearl-Ear had been able to keep secret her meeting with Toshi, at least from Sharp-Ear and the Tails. Instead, she had confided in Captain Silver-Foot and Riko-ome from the academy. Silver-Foot had a low opinion of most humans and Riko, who had been on the outing that resulted in Toshi’s capture of Michiko, bore the same grudges as the kitsune brothers. Both the student and the officer had cooler heads and a better understanding of duty than the others, however, and Pearl-Ear felt she had to trust them. The alternative would be to go to Toshi’s meeting place alone.

Pearl-Ear shifted slightly under her tree. She could sense Riko, concealed among the cedar leaves overhead. She could not locate Silver-Foot, though she knew he and at least three of his rangers were positioned with a clear view of the area. Pearl-Ear was hopeful they would have a reasonable chance of catching Toshi or the princess, assuming they ever showed up.

Pale moonlight illuminated the trees, casting soft shadows along the ground. Pearl-Ear tilted her muzzle down. Her people were extremely sensitive to the natural order of things, and something decidedly unnatural was happening in the darkness. Though the night was cold and still, she sensed a motion from within the shadows on the ground.

Pearl-Ear leaned closer. No, not on the ground. For some reason, these dark shapes seemed to descend into the ground, plunging to depths she would never be able to fathom. Was this how Toshi could come and go so quickly?

All Pearl-Ear’s questions, fears, and concerns vanished when the crown of a shiny, black-haired head broke through the cedar shadow. “Michiko-hime,” she said, anxiety robbing her words of their force.

The princess rose from the black plane, rising like steam without apparent effort. She seemed fine, healthy and strong, if a little pale. Her eyes were closed, and she appeared to be in a deep sleep as she sprouted from the ground like a fast-growing weed.

Pearl-Ear stood in case Silver-Foot and his rangers could not see Michiko’s arrival. She wanted armed warriors by her side when Toshi emerged and demanded payment.

Meanwhile, Michiko’s tall, lithe form completed its vertical journey. Her toes still lay beneath the surface of the shadow, and her eyes were still shut, but she was whole and complete and as beautiful as ever.

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